Electronic Engineering MEng Placement

Do you want to work on real-time projects, alongside leading scientists and engineers, within a globally renowned company, based on our Edinburgh or Newcastle sites?

Are you ready to make an impact and gain hands-on experience working on real-world projects from day one?

Students currently in the final or penultimate year of a degree in Electronic Engineering (MEng) have the opportunity to experience a 6-month paid MEng placement working as an Electronics Engineer within Leonardo. At Leonardo, based on our Edinburgh or Newcastle  sites, we’re looking for MEng placement students who want to be part of something bigger - shaping/ innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

Our placements are designed to help you apply your studies in a practical setting, develop your technical skills, and gain valuable insight into how our business operates. You will be given the opportunity to undertake an individual project in support of their academic course of study in an area of electronics design relevant to radar or electro-optic products. You will be introduced to the electronic development processes and utilise state-of-the-art methods, technology and tools. You will report to an experienced engineer who will provide day to day guidance and on the job training.

Our 6-month MEng Placement Programme gives you the chance to work on meaningful projects alongside subject matter experts, within multidisciplinary teams, and across the product lifecycle. Throughout your paid placement you’ll receive coaching and support from a dedicated team, with the potential to progress onto our Graduate Development Programme. You will gain experience on some aspects of the development lifecycle via the individual project. This could include requirements analysis, design, implementation, integration, applied research and test. You will be given the opportunity to learn about the Leonardo products via the project. The MEng project will be based around solving of real-life engineering problems on state-of-the-art avionics sensor systems.

The programme will run from 1st June to 3rd December 2027.

You are required to spend at least three or four days each week on site, to integrate with your team and maximise your learning experience by designing, testing or integrating electronic circuits and components on the Edinburgh or Newcastle sites.

• Contribute to solving real life engineering problems on state-of-the-art avionics sensor systems. Particular emphasis will be placed on learning practical skills that may not be easily gained or experienced in the academic environment of university.
• Apply your academic knowledge to real projects, including design, testing, qualification and/or technology support
• To learn the skills required for hardware development, you will develop practical skills in design techniques for aerospace applications, understand key technologies, and develop your experience using ECAD tools and test equipment
• Develop your skills with the guidance of an experienced supervisor and the wider engineering community
• Deliver technical reports and presentations on you work assignments to your supervisor and fellow MEng students.
• Deliver plans and reports to the required academic standard of your university.

• You should be matriculated in an MEng course, typically, Electronics Engineering, Engineering Science, Physics or another relevant discipline.

•  We normally only consider candidates who require a 6-month industrial placement to meet the academic requirement of their course. A full statement of courses and projects studied at university and corresponding grades/marks/percentage should be included in your CV.

• You should demonstrate an interest in one or more of the disciplines within Electronic Engineering (e.g. RF, Microwave, Power Supply, FPGAs or High-Speed Digital Circuitry). If you have a preference, please indicate this on your CV or screening questions.

• Strong communication skills, written and verbal, needed to communicate problems and their solutions to your project team
• Self-motivated, enthusiastic, and able to use initiative to understand issues and find solutions
• Adaptable to changing priorities imposed by product-led milestones and pressures
• Collaborative and flexible in approach

Security Clearance 

Many of our roles are subject to security and export control restrictions set by UK Government Security requirements and customer obligations.  As a result, and in line with the UK Government Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) requirements, all successful applicants will be asked to provide evidence of identity, eligibility to work in the UK, criminal record declaration information and employment and/or education history verification for the previous five years. 

For staff operating in more sensitive posts, there is an additional range of personnel security controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV).  As part of this process, a range of factors may be considered, including an individual's background, travel history, nationality, previous nationalities held and other information relevant to the vetting assessment. 

To be eligible for National Security Vetting at SC level, applicants will generally be expected to have continuously resided in the UK for the previous five years. For DV clearance, this is typically ten years.  In some circumstances, time spent overseas may be accepted, with additional overseas checks.  Additional vetting requirements may apply upon appointment. 

For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting  

Why join us 

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do, our teams are key contributors in shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.  

We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive. 

• Time to recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year. 

• Secure your future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution. 

• Your wellbeing matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity. 

• Tailored perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more. 

For a full list of our company benefits please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/company-benefits  

We are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people, communities and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know. 

Start your extraordinary career – apply now!